Facts About Diapers
- Diapers are essential to a baby’s healthy development. Keeping infants and toddlers clean, dry, and healthy is key to building a solid foundation so all children can reach their full potential.
- 1 in 2 families struggles to provide clean diapers for their baby.
- In the U.S., approximately 5 million children aged three or younger come from low-income families.
- Babies without clean diapers are exposed to more potential health risks and are less likely to be accepted to daycares, leaving parents unable to attend work.
- Currently, no state program allocates dollars specifically for the purchase of diapers. A federal assistance program allows families to use the money for diapers; however, this assistance also covers other necessary expenses, such as rent, heat, and electricity.
- Without transportation, buying diapers at a convenience store rather than a large “big box” store can significantly increase the monthly cost of diapers.
- Infants typically require 12 diapers per day, while toddlers usually require about 8.
- Disposable diapers can cost $70 to $80 per month per baby, which, for low-income families, is about 14% of the total monthly income.
If families are struggling to provide diapers for their children, they are likely struggling with other essential needs for health and well-being. Because of this, the Diaper Bank works exclusively with agency partners–adding diapers to the list of services our partners can provide–rather than distributing diapers directly to families. By working with partners, the Diaper Bank avoids creating a new distribution system–but more importantly, strengthens the programming of our partners, allowing them to make diapers available to their families. When families don’t have to worry about where to get diapers, they are free to focus more intention and effort on meeting the goals of their engagement in our partner programs. Put simply, diapers improve the lives of both the organizations with whom we partner and the families who receive them.